Singer James Arthur has smashed X Factor sales records with the release of his debut single 'Impossible'.

Despite a decline in viewers for this year's show, the 24-year-old has noticed up the fastest-selling winner's single at this point in its release.

According to the Official Charts Company, by midnight last night there were nearly 190,000 sales of 'Impossible', which went on sale on Sunday evening immediately after the boy from Boro' was crowned X Factor winner.

The CD version of the single will go on sale tomorrow.

Arthur's sales are ahead of all previous other X Factor winners at this point - with Alexandra Burke's 'Hallelujah' notching up 147,000 and fellow winners Little Mix selling 69,000 during the same time period.

He still has to beat Shayne Ward's 'That's My Goal', which shifted 742,000 copies in total.

James Arthur has spoken of his amazement at winning this year X Factor. He said he could not believe that he had won and thought presenter Dermot O'Leary had said that his opponent Jahmene Douglas had won.